University of California, Santa Barbara || Volume XIII, Issue XV || Mar. 6, 2019 || BottomLineUCSB.com
NEWS
FEATURES
OPINIONS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PHOTO
SCIENCE & TECH
VIDEO
ANIMALS IN
SANTA BARBARA S&T
Page 9
Illustration by Alyssa Long | Staff Illustrator
Annie Leibovitz
IVCSD Appointment
Photographer Annie Leibovitz spoke to Arlington Theater last Thursday about capturing the human element of photography in her work.
ICVCSD unanimously voted to appoint second year Kristie Nguyen as the new Director of the Board last Tuesday.
A&E
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NEWS
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TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
2 | NEWS
IVCSD Appoints First Woman of Color To Serve on the Board UCSB undergraduate Kristie Nguyen was appointed as the new Director of the Isla Vista Community Services District Board (IVCSD) on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Nguyen, a second-year sociology major and Asian American studies minor, will serve out the remainder of former Director Natalie Jordan’s term until December 2020, following Jordan’s resignation earlier this year. Nguyen is the first woman of color to serve on the board and is one of two people of color, along with Director Ethan Bertrand, comprising the seven-member board. “Looking at the board I knew that they were all guys — not mostly of color — and I think it’s important to have a face that represents the demographic here,” Nguyen told The Bottom Line. “A lot of women of color here don’t think that they have the ability to go on election board, and by [being appointed], it will actually motivate a lot of girls to do that.” Her vision focuses on sexual assault issues in Isla Vista, improving lighting and parking, public safety, and increasing engagement between the Community Services District and I.V. residents through social media. Though initially four candidates had applied for the board position, two withdrew their applications: Jeremy Roark, who withdrew prior to the meeting, noting that he felt confident in the other candidates, and Lindsay Sherman, a third-year sociology and Chinese double-major, who withdrew that same day. The board’s decision was between Nguyen and Jeremy Levine, a fourth-year statistics and economics double major. The meeting began with opening statements from each candidate, fol-
lowed by public comment and board questions, leading to the board’s public deliberation and unanimous decision. During the interview session, candidates answered questions from the board about their connections with the community, interest to public service, and commitment to Isla Vista. Members of the board agreed that they were looking for a candidate connected to the community and who would strengthen communication between the board and I.V.’s diverse residents. Nguyen holds active publicity roles in Campus Democrats and Alpha Delta Pi; she was also involved in campaigning for Measure R last year alongside current directors Brandt and Bertrand. Levine was formerly co-chair of UCSB’s Environmental Affairs Board and deputy editor of The Bottom Line. He is currently outreach and research consultant at the California Center for Public Policy and an intern in the Department of Economics. Freeman supported Levine for his background with environmental issues, noting the lack thereof on the board and added that, after speaking with various communities in Isla Vista, everyone knew Levine in some way, but no one had dealt with Nguyen before. “When I think about campaigning, I know we already have a lot of strong background on the board between [Bertrand and Brandt],” said Freeman. Director John Hedges also initially expressed his support for Levine as someone who could “reach across the aisle” in reference to Levine’s experience with outreach in the Latinx communities and plan for more dual language programs. The remainder of the board backed up Nguyen, recognizing her
TBL 2018-2019 STAFF Correction: In Volume 13, Issue 14, we incorrectly stated that Rodney Boone made his collegiate debut on 2/23. His first start for UCSB was actually 2/17 at Loyola Marymount.
experience reaching out to the community through campaigns and canvassing, her focus on communication, and representing women and communities of color. “I think that being able to have a board that looks like our community, especially a woman and a woman of color is something that really strikes me as paramount importance,” said Brandt. “I believe Kristie brings different involvement in the community that we don’t really have at the table right now,” said Bertrand, “especially in her involvement in leadership in the Greek community.” Following a half hour deliberation, the board voted unanimously in favor of Nguyen’s appointment. Afterwards, Freeman acknowledged that the board “went in the right direction” with Nguyen’s appointment, describing the significance of having a woman of color in the position. After his loss, Jeremy told The Bottom Line, “Regardless of being on the board or not on the board, I’m going to be in Isla Vista for the next few years and I want to improve this area. I want to help the people of this area feel that they have the voice and the power to improve themselves.” He believes Nguyen will make a good addition to the board and wishes her the best. Nguyen was sworn in immediately after and sat in on her first CSD board meeting as new director that same evening. “I’m so humbled and honored for my election on the board and I want nothing more than to see Isla Vista continue to flourish,” said Nguyen. “And I’m going to work to do just that.”
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A lot of women of color here don’t think that they have the ability to go on election board, and by [being appointed], it will actually motivate a lot of girls to do that. – Kristie Nguyen, New Director of IVCSD
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ALONDRA SIERRA Isla Vista Beat Reporter
Opinions expressed in TBL do not necessarily represent those of the staff or UCSB. All submissions, questions or comments may be directed to editors@bottomlineucsb.com
Editor-in-Chief | Alex Yam
Features Editor | Victoria Penate
Sports Editors | Juan Gonzalez and
Web Editor | Docean Park
Managing Editor | Mable Truong
Arts & Entertainment Editor | Addison Morris
Jacob Wong
Layout Editor | Elaine Chen
Executive Content Editor | Lauren Marnel
Science & Tech Editor | Hannah Maerowitz
Photo Editor | Juan Gonzalez
PAGES: 4, 5, 6
Shores
Opinions Editor | Jessica Gang
Campus Beat Reporter | Minh Hua
Layout Editor | Chrissy Cho
Senior Layout Editor | Mikaela Pham
Video Editor | Fabiola Esqueda
Isla Vista Beat Reporter | Alondra Sierra
PAGES: 7,8,9
Senior Copy Editor | Spencer Wu
Advertising Director | Tanya Gosselin
National Beat Reporter | Jacob Wong
Layout Editor | Vivianna Shields
Co-News Editor | Arturo Samaniego
Marketing Director | Erica Kaplan
Copy Editor | Sheila Tran
PAGES: 10,11,12
Co-News Editor | Annette Ding
Copy Editor | McKinsey FIdellow
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
3 | NEWS
UC Ends Negotiation with Powerhouse Publisher:
Elsevier Subscription Terminated MINH HUA Campus Beat Reporter The University of California Office of the President (UCOP) sent out a press release on Thursday that the UC system will not be renewing its subscription with publisher Elsevier. Although negotiations extended beyond the original Dec. 31, 2018 deadline, Elsevier was ultimately unwilling to meet UC’s key goals: ensuring universal open access to UC research and integrating open access article processing charges (APCs) and subscription fees into a single contract. APCs are fees that subscription journals allow authors to pay to publish their articles as open access. According to the press release, the university’s objective in the negotiations was “to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by ensuring that research produced by UC’s 10 campuses would be immediately available to the world, without cost to the reader.” However, Elsevier’s terms went another direction, proposing to charge UC authors large publishing fees, over $10 million per year, on top of the university’s multi-million dollar subscription. The most recent proposal did not include any cap on the total amount UC faculty could end up paying in article publishing fees and would not have allowed the UC to fund article fees for authors who are unable to pay. As reported by The Bottom Line, UC paid almost $11 million to Elsevier in journal subscription fees alone in 2018 and that Elsevier had a more than 40 percent profit margin on their
revenues in 2012 and 2013, rivaling that of Apple, Google, or Amazon on those years. “Knowledge should not be accessible only to those who can pay,” quoted Robert May, chair of UC’s faculty Academic Senate, in the press release. According to UC Santa Barbara Library’s official statement to the community, the UC will
still have direct access to most Elsevier articles published in 2018 or earlier because prior contracts with Elsevier included permanent access. “E-books, databases, and open access content published by Elsevier are not affected,” said University Librarian Kristin Antelman, author of the official statement.
According to Antelman, UC’s negotiation goals were driven by a set of UC facultydriven principles on scholarly communication. Consequently, open access publishing fulfills UC’s mission by transmitting knowledge more broadly and facilitating new discoveries. Some notable rights and principles include “publishers
shall make work by [UC] authors immediately available” and “[UC] authors shall have the right to make all of their data ... from their published work publicly available.” The push for open access publishing, which makes research freely and publicly available to everyone, isn’t new and has been fomenting for quite some time. Recognizing that high subscription prices are financially unsustainable and detrimental to the facilitation of research, universities across the world have been pushing for open access. “The prices of scientific journals now are so high that not a single university in the U.S. — not the University of California, not Harvard, no institution — can afford to subscribe to them all,” said Jeffrey MacKie-Mason, university librarian and economics professor at UC Berkeley, and co-chair of UC’s negotiation team in the UC press release. “Publishing our scholarship behind a paywall deprives people of the access to and benefits of publicly funded research,” said Mackie-Mason. In light of the failed negotiations, Antelman stated that UC libraries have prepared the interlibrary loan office for increased demand, as well as a quick guide to alternative access, and will continue to monitor alternative sources of research in the upcoming months, ensuring that UC scholars and researchers are able to continue their research. Image Courtesy of Wikimedia
4 | FEATURES
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
Friendship Manor hosts senior citizens in the community, providing a variety of activities for UCSB students to participate in. Photo by Samuel Yang | The Bottom Line
Isla Vista’s Friendship Manor Provides Community Housing for Senior Citizens
KAYLAN CHOLEWA Friendship Manor, originally a student-housing dormitory, is now an affordable solution for senior citizens looking for independent living in the Isla Vista area. Located on El Colegio Road, nestled between university apartments and bike paths to campus, you could pass it without even realizing that there are over two hundred senior residents currently living there. Breaking away from the traditional model of adult senior living, Friendship Manor residents are independent, taking care of themselves for the most part. Besides being provided meals, residents retain autonomy over their well-being. Because of this, residents truly take it upon themselves to help each other out, fostering a sense of community among one another. Throughout the year, Friendship Manor offers numerous activities for those living there to socialize and get involved — presenting an opportunity to feel young again. They hold holidaythemed dances, ice cream socials (the undefeated favorite among residents), and a senior prom during the spring. The manor even has a billiard room, a beauty
salon, and a heated pool on the premise. Chris Rendessy, the activities director for Friendship Manor, detailed in an interview with The Bottom Line the various events that are organized. “We have barbeques, socials, pizza parties, movies...there’s always something going on,” said Rendessy. Most recently, Friendship Manor offered residents a chance to get their groove on, eat sweets, and maybe even meet their sweetheart at their annual Valentine’s Day dance. Held on Feb. 14 the dance consisted of a lively time dedicated to food, drinks, a live band, and lots of dancing. From the moment I entered the event, the sense of community was evident, not only between the residents but also in relation to the greater Isla Vista community. There was a surprising number of UCSB students at the event — from sororities and fraternities, to the Community Affairs Board and more, many students came out to show support. This particular event has become an annual classic after fifteen years, and it is increasingly a conglomerate of residents and visitors–all coming together to dance, celebrate life, and enjoy
the night with Friendship Manor. The room was filled with music, chatter, dancing, and laughter. When speaking with Jason Alexander, the president of the Residence Association, he told The Bottom Line about the sense of community. “There’s smiles, hugs, laughter, and dance. It’s really just a big family,” said Alexander. Friendship Manor presents many opportunities for students to get involved. They are always happy to have students volunteer, whether through serving meals to residents, getting involved with the numerous events that are held, or even coming in to “adopt-a-grandparent.” So, the next time you are looking to be a more involved member of your community, it may be a good idea to stop by Friendship Manor, home to many friendly faces. Anyone interested in getting involved at Friendship Manor may contact the Retirement Community at (805) 968 - 0771, or at the following website: http://friendshipmanor.org/volunteers.html
5 | FEATURES
Tips for Managing Stress During Finals
VICTORIA PENATE | Features Editor As the quarter comes to a close — and stress levels often rise as a result — it becomes more important than ever to take proper care of one’s own physical and mental health. Fortunately, with some preparation and knowledge on how to manage stress, the end of the quarter can go smoothly and successfully.
Moderate your caffeine intake. From coffee to tea to energy drinks in any flavor imaginable, many Gauchos turn to caffeine for the extra boost of alertness that they need to carry them through an all-nighter or long day at the library. But, in many cases, it can be difficult to gauge the line between healthy and excessive caffeine consumption. Especially for those who do not normally consume much caffeine, it is important not to make an abrupt change into loading up on the stimulant — not only can it worsen any natural feelings of pre-exam nervousness, but it can present a serious health danger when overused. A general limit to how much caffeine the average healthy adult can safely consume per day, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, is approximately 400 milligrams. This translates to about four to five standard cups of coffee. This figure, like any nutritional guideline, will be different for each individual based on personal health. However, one way any caffeine consumer can take for a healthier, more stress-free end to the quarter is to pay attention to nutritional labels, staying mindful of limits rather than pushing them while under academic pressure.
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
Take advantage of UCSB’s scenic location and move your study break beachside. With the ocean in such close proximity to UCSB’s campus, it can be easy to become accustomed to the crash of waves and coastal breeze — to the point that many Gauchos often forget what a soothing experience awaits upon paying the beach a quick visit. In addition to the general de-stress potential of a simple break, the ocean in particular has been shown to offer a calming effect to those who are near it. In an interview with NBC News, clinical psychologist Richard Shuster said, “Staring at the ocean actually changes our brain waves’ frequency and puts us into a mild meditative state.” So, when taking a step away from studying, it may prove worthwhile to take a walk over to the beach and appreciate the steady sound of the waves crashing against the shore. After all, recordings of this sound are a popular choice for relaxing background ambiance — fortunately for the UCSB community, the real thing is always just a quick stroll away.
Work off some of your exam season jitters by making time to get some exercise. For those who feel restless as final exams approach, it may be a good option to work off some excess energy through your preferred athletic activity — anything from a leisurely walk to a vigorous gym workout can often be helpful in clearing the mind. Regardless of the level of activity you can enjoy and safely practice, doing so may help you return to your studies with a renewed sense of calm and concentration. Below, find listed a few upcoming activities where you can work up a sweat, before you find yourself doing so at the library: 1 - The A.S. Commission on Student Well Being will be hosting free yoga classes on March 6 (5:15 p.m.) at the Santa Catalina Vista Room, and on March 9 at the Pardall Center (11:00 a.m.). 2 - UCSB’s Swing and Ballroom Dance Club will be hosting a “Swing Dance at the Gym!” event at Robertson Gym on Saturday, March 9 (8:00 p.m.). This is a free event, and will include a dance lesson during the first half hour with an open dance following. 3 - In conjunction with Yoga Isla Vista, the Isla Vista Food Co-Op will be hosting a yoga class followed by a brunch on Sunday, March 10 (8:45 a.m.). This event costs $5 and reservations can be made with the Co-Op until March 9.
6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
ZOOMING IN ON ANNIE LEIBOVITZ Photographer Annie Leibovitz enraptured the Arlington Theater crowd by presenting on her photographic works and descriptive stories. Photo Courtesy of Robert Scoble | Flickr
SABRINA BUI Staff Writer I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I attended a talk with Annie Leibovitz last Thursday at the Arlington Theater in downtown Santa Barbara. Before I entered the theater, Leibovitz, considered one of the most talented and successful photographers of all time, wasn’t a person to me; she was an enigmatic figure within the realm of photography whose name I was aware of only because she was listed in the captions of the photo magazines I read. I was excited to find out who she was, and evidently, so was everyone else around me. I arrived 20 minutes early to complete chaos: a mass of people trying to make their way into the theater. The crowd filled the theater to near capacity as everyone shuffled their way inside. Old and young alike proudly snapped Instagram photos and Snapchats of their tickets, showing off to their friends and family
where they were for the night. It was clear: Leibovitz had fans, and a lot of them. The event started at 7:40 p.m. with an introduction from Pico Iyer, an American essayist mostly known for his travel writing. He eloquently asserted that Leibovitz had the uncanny ability to mix the private and public, something that makes her so appealing to the modern moment. It’s an astute observation. Leibovitz is known for her striking portraiture of the world’s most famous and notorious figures, including the likes of Angelina Jolie, President Barack Obama, and even Stormy Daniels, the adult film star primarily known for her past relationship with the current president. She has the ability to capture the intimate in the world’s most elusive. But the woman who has become such a legend herself is anything but a mystery and that became clear when it came time to hear her speak. Dressed simply in a black
long sleeve and black trousers, she shouted an enthusiastic and lively “how are ya” to the crowd which was met with enthusiastic cheers and applause. It was far from the formal introduction I was expecting. Within the first thirty seconds she was on stage, Leibovitz made it obvious that the event was not a lecture, but a chat with her. Starting her talk proper, she began by going through some of the photos in her book Annie Leibovitz at Work, a commentary about her career through her eyes. She showed photos she captured during President Richard Nixon’s resignation as well as photos she took on tour with famous rock stars like Mick Jagger while working for The Rolling Stones at the beginning of her career. “I wasn’t ready for abstraction, I wanted reality,” she stated, talking about how she came to be a photographer. Leibovitz originally went to the San Francisco Art Institute for painting before ultimately finding her calling in
photography. As she flipped through her photos, the audience audibly reacted with gasps or small exclamations of “wow.” Decades after she had taken these photos, it was still apparent that they were timeless in their cultural impact. She didn’t shy away from anything during the talk, showing photos from the death of her father as well as her close friend Susan Sontag and a series of portraits of police officers who had given her tickets. Nothing was off limits; Leibovitz wasn’t afraid to disclose. Showing a photo of Stormy Daniels, she told the audience that Daniels wasn't wearing a bra in their photoshoot together. She said that some of her favorite people to photograph were comedians because they are “usually manicdepressive geniuses.” It was the eccentric details and stories that Leibovitz added to accompany her photos that made the talk intimate but also absolutely hilarious. It was a night of laughs throughout the entire 90
minute talk. While the talk was with a photographer, the night was less about the photos and more about the human element of photography. “The most rewarding part of the job is meeting people throughout their life and photographing them over time,” she said with a photo of Joan Didion, an influential writer of the New Journalism movement, behind her. Leibovitz has photographed her multiple times for publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue. Leibovitz has become a documenter of cultural moments but what makes her work impactful and timeless is her ability to capture the personal. For Leibovitz, the work is not what you capture but whom you capture. She has become larger than life but the focus for her is still small: on the individual.
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
7 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ALEXANDER ORTIZ In spring 2014, the mural of the sea turtle off the 65 block of Sabado Tarde was painted by a class coordinated by Professor Ann Hefferman. Around this same time, tragedy struck Isla Vista when an act of violence resulted in the death of six UCSB
moment in Isla Vista history. This winter quarter 2019, a mural representing a view of I.V. is in progress at the 66 block of Del Playa along the Koto Group residence. In an interview with The Bottom Line, Andrew Morrison, instructor of the Isla Vista mural class, said, “The inspiration behind this recent mural is the
a student intern of ours, Kat Frazur, voiced an inability to take art classes because of the limited space made even more limited for students outside the major. She noticed that iconic murals in I.V. at the time were being painted over and had this idea of collaborating with property owners because we do that anyways to maintain relationships with property owners.” Birchim continued, “We asked if they wanted us to do murals on their buildings and they said yes. So Anne Hefferman, who’s a staff person at the library, is this really amazing muralist and began teaching the course with artist Jorge Alvarez. We pay for the materials and the property owner pays the mural artist for their time in teaching the class.” Professor Anne Heffernan continued to instruct for subsequent years while also alternating the instructor position with other artists: Jeff Paige, Gabriel Cardenas, and most currently Andrew Morrison. Birchim also said, “It started as an Interdisciplinary (INT) course at UCSB and included learning about the history and construction of murals and tasked students with sketching mural ideas on paper to then give to property owners who maybe choose a couple of them. After
UCSB Mural Class Paints I.V. Culture for Future Generations students. The turtle was originally the only sea creature in the mural before the tragedy. Angel fish were subsequently added for the six students, according the Santa Barbara Independent. This is one of many projects painted by UCSB’s I.V. mural class, which has been ongoing for eight years. Each project has its own ties to a culturally significant
students themselves and also the Isla Vista culture. The inspiration is also us wanting to get our art into the public eye. Having art as easy access is a principle we live by.” Jennifer Birchim manages the UCSB Community Housing Office and helped create the mural class. In an interview with The Bottom Line Birchim said, “This class started in 2012 when
they reworked it to fit the building. The students then would go to the property to paint.” The class has no prerequisites. As Morrison explained, “Any students can enroll in this class, and what’s required is a great attitude.” Engaging in cooperative team building is one of the goals for students in the class. Morrison said, “Students roles are not divided, but united, through teamwork. We encourage a profound discipline of working with each other and succeeding as a team. The individual persona gets lost within our inclusive wave of camaraderie.” The newest edition of artwork joins a collection of works that are supported by UCSB community leaders, instructors, students, and apartment building owners who provide a canvas space along buildings. The first mural was created on Sueno Road and was a painting of a squid, meant to add vibrancy to the area. Birchim described another mural’s creation process saying, “A property owner was feeling that Del Playa was very male centric, too much testosterone, and wanted to lighten things up so they painted a peacock.” Each mural has a different creation process. Birchim said, “One mural beside El Colegio on CBC in The Sweeps started with the vision of one student who had the idea of an underwater scene while another student in the class envisioned a galaxy scene. They decided to combine them.” In fall of 2013, students in the class were tasked with creating their rendition of a popular
New Yorker cover called “The View of the World from 9th Avenue” by Saul Steinberg. Birchim said, “The owners of Plaza Lofts had a vision of doing a painting similar to the New Yorker cover. Students created their own rendition called “A View of the World from Isla Vista.” When describing the significance the class project has on students, Birchim said, “Students now come back, who had been doing them since the 2012,-13,14, and they see the mark they left on the community. I think in a really positive way, it’s fun and creates such an amazing feeling. I went to school here back in 19962000 and there were murals everywhere that got painted over as they aged. Our hope is to maintain these and keep them going.” Andrew Morrison is the current instructor of the class. In fall 2018, students painted at the Tahitian Apartments off El Colegio. The painting depicts a fallen brick wall that a person can look through to see a sunset overlooking the ocean. The scene captures people surfing, a wandering raccoon, and a resting monarch butterfly. Like the other murals, this one represents unique tokens of Isla Vista culture. Morrison’s class is currently working on a piece on the 66 Block of Del Playa. Simultaneously throughout the year his class has been working on a documentary, filming the process of creation and success of students in the mural class. It premiers March 8 at 2 p.m. in the MultiCultural Center and is open to the public.
Photos by Alexander Ortiz | The Bottom Line Murals in Isla Vista not only serve as art pieces but also as mementos of history.
8 | SCIENCE & TECH
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
UCSB Professor Explores AI’s Impact on Training
Technology Management Program professor Matt Beane facilitates a discussion on artificial intelligence’s role in the coming years. Photo Courtesy of Matt Beane
XANDER APICELLA Matt Beane, a professor in UCSB’s Technology Management Program, spoke about what artificial intelligence is costing the workforce in a TED talk last November. Beane’s career began with consulting, but after he saw a sociometric badge designed by the MIT Media Lab, he became inspired to apply to graduate school to learn how to use technology to help teams perform better. While attending graduate school at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Beane’s interests crystallized. “I did a number of research projects, all of them on the implications for robotics on collaborative work,” he said. These project led him to his dissertation, which involved cataloging the effects of AI on education of young doctors in residency. This was also the subject of his recent TED talk. In his TED talk, he explained the process behind his research. “I started with a big, open question: How do we learn to work with intelligent machines?” said Matt Beane in
an interview with The Bottom Line. To explore that question, Beane described the case of a surgeon in training, Kristen. First, he outlines a scenario where the surgeon in training, performs surgery on a prostate patient with the help of a seasoned doctor. She watches the experienced surgeon, helping as he goes, but she finishes up the procedure, gaining valuable hands-on time with a procedure she had studied. In surgery, they call this type of progression “see one, do one, teach one.” Then, he compared this experience to a similar one. In this scenario, the experienced surgeon, Kristen’s mentor, worked with a robotic AI surgery apparatus via a console. Kristen only had a few minutes of control throughout the procedure. Her hands-on experience was sacrificed in favor of a quicker, safer procedure. From a logistical standpoint, may seem like a positive because the surgery was completed more efficiently. However, since Kristen only received a few minutes of hands-on learning in the second case, it is unlikely that she can replicate this procedure. As a result, she won’t be as sure of
herself when she has to do such a procedure solo. Beane believes that the hands-on experience Kristen is losing is the most vital kind of learning. In his TED Talk, he points out that worker surveys show that most workers learned key skills on the job, not in formal training. His dissertation explores what is lost when mentorship is sacrificed for efficiency. Although he studied surgery most, he also wanted to know in what other instances AI was hindering learning. After connecting with researchers studying similar topics, a pattern emerged. “No matter the industry, the work, the AI, the story was the same. Organizations were trying harder and harder to get results from AI, and they were peeling learners away from expert work as they did it,” said Beane. “Startup managers were outsourcing their customer contact, future cops had to learn to deal with crime forecasts without expert support, junior bankers were getting cut out of complex analysis, and new professors had to build online courses without help,” he said.
These sacrifices are made in the name of efficiency, but the comprehensive approach to learning a new skill is sacrificed. “McKinsey estimates that between half a billion and a billion of us are going to have to adapt to AI in our daily work by 2030,” Beane said. “AI is a powerful and lucrative tool, but it blocks traditional learning methods, creating a vacuum where new techniques must be found to survive.” Despite the struggles faced by the majority, a small minority of students in Beane’s study thrived despite the lack of support. “Residents got involved in robotic surgery in medical school at the expense of their generalist education,” he said. “They spent hundreds of extra hours with simulators and recordings of surgery when you were supposed to learn in the OR. And, maybe most importantly, they found ways to struggle through live procedures with limited expert supervision.” Beane has termed these strategies “shadow learning.” Shadow learning involves pursuing an objective with unsanctioned methods in order to gain hands-on experience required
for that position. Beane believes this behavior should be a catalyst for brainstorming future solutions because shadow learning is an unsustainable strategy. Formal education has begun to address this issue, but more ideas are needed. “There are a number of groups interested in not just studying, but building systems to help groups of people learn things virtually,” Beane said. “Easy examples are MOOCs, Udacity, or edX, or Coursera, or Khan Academy. So why don’t we take those tools that we’re building — that are even using AI — and drag them over to how a master interacts with an apprentice on the job.” This type of transition — from an environment where technology drives people apart to one where it brings them together — is vital for developing environments conducive for professional learning.
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
9 | SCIENCE & TECH
ANIMALS IN SANTA BARBARA JESSICA GANG Opinions Editor As most Santa Barbara residents know, it’s easy to find new ways to appreciate the natural beauty of our natural environment. Whether it’s riding a bike next to the lagoon or admiring the ocean views, scarcely a day passes where I’m not blown away by the loveliness of Santa Barbara. However, it’s important to remember that humans are not the only ones who live in this picturesque environment. Santa Barbara residents cohabitate with a variety of animals, each of whom treasure their natural habitat just as much as we do, and possess a level of intelligence that allows them to adapt and thrive.
Great Horned Owl: The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl that nests in Santa Barbara year-round, and is the second largest in all of North America. Considered deadly predators, Great Horned Owls have the ability to adjust their diets to overlap with the options present in their environment, which results in a varied diet comprised of “skunks, great blue herons, baby alligators, armadillos, porcupines, and even an occasional house cat,” according to the Santa Barbara Audubon Society. Long associated with Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, owls are famously intelligent, with incredible night vision, far-reaching
Common Raccoon: The common raccoon is perhaps one of the most pervasive (and unexpected) inhabitants of Santa Barbara. Whether you’ve seen these critters lurking around your dorm at night or prowling the streets of Isla Vista, it’s undeniable that raccoons are here to stay (and have even been lovingly embraced by the UCSB community). It may surprise you to know, though, that raccoons are some of the smartest animals around, and their intelligence has allowed to them comfortably adapt to urban life in a way that not many other animals can claim. In nature, raccoons are accustomed to foraging for nuts, berries, insects, and small mammals and birds. In an urban environment like Santa Barbara, however, raccoons have learned to change their focus to finding garbage, as well food and water left for domestic pets. Some even capitalize on overripe fruit and berries left out by human
hearing, and the capacity for silent flight. Great Horned Owls are also surprisingly dedicated parents — they stay with their young for several months while teaching them how to hunt and fly, along with other survival skills. Owls are somewhat unique in the bird kingdom because they do not build their own nests, instead relying on nooks in trees or the vacant nests of other birds. Because the Great Horned Owl is one of several Santa Barbara owl species in danger of habitat loss in some areas, the Santa Barbara Independent has instructions for how to create your own “owl box,” a makeshift nest where owls can perch or rest.
beneficiaries. The raccoon’s unique ability to adapt to such a drastically different lifestyle is primarily the result of the neuron content and size of their brains. According to a recent study published in the Frontiers of Neuroanatomy, raccoons have a dense field of neurons as well as the brain size of a small primate — two factors that generally coincide with high intelligence. However, their intelligence has contributed their notorious sneakiness. Raccoons have consistently passed intelligence tests that showcase their natural affinity for fiddling with locks, mechanisms, and traps that would confound less intelligent animals. The Santa Barbara Humane Society’s article on raccoons includes a section that educates Santa Barbara residents on how to protect themselves from sneaky raccoons, while also maintaining a peaceful and mutually respectful relationship with them.
Monarch Butterfly: The monarch butterfly is another famous year-round resident of Santa Barbara. The brilliant coloring of the monarch is an evolutionary protective measure that warns away predators who might otherwise be tempted to eat it. This threat is not empty. If a predator eats a monarch, toxins in the monarch will sicken the predator — not enough to cause death, but perhaps enough to prevent the predator from trying a second time. Monarch butterflies get these toxins by consuming nectar from the milkweed plant, which is the only food that
monarch larvae eat before they undergo metamorphosis. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is one example of a popular monarch butterfly nesting area, mainly due to the fact that the garden includes milkweed plants for the express purpose of nurturing the monarch population in Santa Barbara. The ‘Monarch Butterfly FAQ’ section of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s website states that Santa Barbara residents can also help contribute to a healthier habitat for the monarchs by planting milkweed in their own gardens.
Illustration by Alyssa Long | The Bottom Line
So the next time you find yourself admiring the plants and flowers at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, or admiring the sturdy trees outside your dorm, it might be worth taking a moment to think about the native animals doing the same, who depend on us to take care of their environment so that they can prosper and thrive in peace. For more information on the diverse array of animals found in Santa Barbara, as well as measures that you can take to nurture a healthy natural environment for wildlife, please visit sites like the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, the Santa Barbara Humane Society, or the Santa Barbara Audubon Society.
10 | OPINIONS
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
DO YOUR PART. please!
complete course evaluations ELISEO MANZO The post-midterm lull has set in, as winter courses wrap up before the inevitable stress-inducing caffeine binge that is finals week at UCSB. Harnessing the motivation to make these last classes can be difficult. Classes in Campbell Hall, or Embarcadero, or just about any other big lecture hall can look startlingly empty during this time of the quarter. Fatigue and infrequent rain showers make it especially hard for students to drag themselves out of their cozy nests of warm blankets and pillows on these cold winter mornings, leaving professors questioning the usefulness of their teaching. Faculty receive answers to some of these questions through the course evaluation system: those familiar pink sheets that are supposed to give the professors, teacher’s assistants and department administrators a chance to listen to their students’ opinions on their courses and teaching methods through anonymous surveys. However, to some students, these course evaluations can seem like a mere administrative formality without any real potential for improving the professor’s teaching method going forward. The cynics promptly get up and walk right out of class after being handed their course evaluation sheets, believing that the comments of a lowly undergrad won’t matter to a tenured professor. But they are wrong: course evaluations do matter to professors because they matter to the administrators overseeing their respective departments. The information compiled from the course evaluation survey data gives the administrators valuable insight into the overall quality
of teaching happening in their department, ensuring that things are moving in the right direction. By gathering course evaluations from all the courses offered within the department, the administrators can see the broad
improve on behalf of students and faculty becomes the catalyst for improving the overall quality of education offered by the university. The course evaluation system gives the students a platform to provide the school with the feed-
back on course evaluations, students can help professors identify the deficiencies in their course so that they can make the adjustments that will ultimately benefit both parties. Of course, this is all predicated
there should be an understanding that things can and should be constantly improved upon. So the next time that you are thinking about leaving class early rather than completing the course evaluation forms, consider your
Illustration by Alyssa Long | Staff Illustrator
view of the quality of teaching happening in their department. This gives them the necessary context needed to promote healthy change by identifying the outlying courses and focusing their efforts on emulating what they are doing right or improving on what they are doing wrong. This is where the willingness to
back that is vital to maintaining a standard of excellence within the university. If a certain professor is not successfully facilitating the concepts of the course, it is the student’s obligation to let them know that their teaching methods did not help them learn effectively. Through honest and concise feed-
on the assumption that professors and administrators are actively pushing to improve their departments, which may not always be the case. Even in the most successful organizations, complacency is always a very real risk where present success is assumed to continue indefinitely. When the reality is that, in order to maintain success,
privilege as a UCSB student with a real opportunity to actually improve the quality of education here. Do your part, and trust that the professors and administrators will do theirs.
11 | OPINIONS
TBL | Mar. 6, 2019
EXPLAINING THE IN UC APPLICATIONS
>DRO P
MADISON KIRKPATRICK
An article published by KSRO revealed a recent drop in UC applications for the first time in many years. UCSB is lucky that our admissions have not decreased much, but if this trend continues, we could be the next victim. UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz have seen a recent drop in freshman and transfer applications, and this decrease, while not enough to cause significant concern, has been noticed by administrative officials. The reason behind the drop is unclear, but there is speculation that everything from a lack of funds to academic preparedness has resulted in a desire in students to live closer to home. After UC Berkeley suffered a 2.5 percent decrease in freshman applicants and a slight decrease in transfer applications, spokesperson Janet Gilmore noted that this year has seen a decline in the number of Chicanx/Latinx, Native American and African-American applicants. In an interview conducted with the Daily Cal, junior student Zuha Aslam stated that “Berkeley has a reputation for being super diverse, which adds to more individual student stories and more possibilities for inclusion among
students.” In the case of the recent decrease in enrollment, Berkeley risks losing its diverse label. In the context of UCSB, our campus is known for being extremely diverse, allowing students to find more opportunities for inclusion. For me specifically, special interest groups with a wide range of ethnicities are the ones that I find myself most thriving in. UCLA has also seen a two percent decrease in their applications this year. The number of outof-state applicants has increased by one percent, but applications of California residents have decreased by three. This may not seem substantial, but if the trend continues, it can eventually become a bigger issue. In an interview with the Daily Bruin, undergraduate director Gary Clark believes that the decline is due to students becoming more selective about which schools to apply to; many students believe that applying to multiple schools is a waste because you only choose one. The thing to remem-
ber is that keeping your options open can serve you better than being selective. It’s much better to apply to multiple places than to have your heart set on one or two. Also, your opinions might change and you might like another school better
than your top choice. In the same article, biopsychology student Nicolette Khalifian says that the decrease may give UCLA one fewer thing to brag about when marketing the school to prospective students. This can also be the case if UCSB has a similar problem. When I was
applying to colleges, for example, knowing that others loved the campus as much as I did made a lot of the difference for me. Over-enrollment has also been blamed for the decrease in admissions. A blog by admissions expert Ms. Sun states that UCLA and UCSD have admitted to suffering from over-enrollment. This means that there are lots of students in classes that should be smaller. Over-enrollment has severe repercussions for students and administration, which include trouble focusing in classes, less attention from teachers, and more pressure for instructors to cater to the needs of every student in large classes. In classes I have taken, I have found that the larger the class the higher the discomfort with speaking up in front of others. A decrease in enrollment may actually be a solution to over-enrollment. Though this does not mean much for UCSB yet, it is impor-
tant that the university markets their achievements as a way for students to enroll in the school. Unfortunately, there is little we can do to stop the decrease in other universities, but the college can focus on keeping itself intact. In light of this decrease, I believe that the best way to prevent this issue from becoming a trend would be to emphasize more importance on higher education. When I applied to colleges, it was important to apply to multiple and keep your options open. These included safety and reach schools. This was considered part of being prepared for the next step. I went from being accepted to two colleges as a freshman to eight colleges as a transfer. This was because I realized that it is okay to apply to multiple places because you have more opportunity to be accepted. It is important for students to realize that they are wanted for their skills and they have to know how crucial college is and how important it is to work to the best of their abilities in high school. Illustration by Jake Ortega | The Bottom Line
Comic of the Week The Bottom Line File Photo
Comic by Jake Ortega | The Bottom Line
ISLA VISTA
12 | PHOTO
Citizen’s
Academy
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On Saturday March 2, the first Citizen’s Academy to focus on Isla Vista-related issues held their final class and subsequent graduation ceremony. Deputy Phil Farley from Santa Barbara County’s K-9 Unit came for a demonstration with his K-9 partner, Odin, and Deputy Mike Guynn came to discuss what it takes to be a part of a bomb squad. After five weeks the participants received their certificates from Isla Vista Community Resource Deputy Justin Schroeder and Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. Photos by Katie Michel | The Bottom Line
1 Bomb Squad Deputy Mike Guynn talks about how the bomb squad suits work. Here he demonstrates the function of their helmets. 2 I.V. Citizen’s Academy participants pose with their certifications of completion, along with workshop leader Isla Vista Community Resource Deputy Justin Schroeder and Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
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GRADUATION
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3 I.V. Citizen’s Academy participants watch the K-9 demonstration. 4 K-9 Unit Officer Odin, I.V. Citizen’s Academy K-9, performs a demonstration.